So are you a photographer by trade as I note you post images here quite often? I am a adventure traveler (by bicycle) 30 years now and shoot a lot of pictures. I have posted many trip reports here at Trailspace.

It was really cool. As we were hiking in after dark we stopped for a quick break and that's when we heard them first. Sounded like at least 6 to 10 of them yipping and howling out in front of us a few hundred yards. Shortly after as we were hiking, my dog (Shiloh Sheppard) went nuts and into protective mode and was yanking on the leash and was growling like mad. It took him a few minutes to calm down. After about 20 minutes we arrived at a suitable camp spot. Then they started yipping and howling again but now they were behind us and again Toby Dog was going nuts. Whining and his hair was standing up straight on his back. They seemed to settle down after that and we didn't hear from then again. Though their paw prints were all over the trail the next day. It was a really neat experience. Nature at it's finest.

I live in southern nh, and coyotes are everywhere. They have become a serious problem for anybody with livestock or outdoor pets. I hear them almost every night, I live across the street from 120k acres of land owned by cold river materials, it is undeveloped and a great place to hike and camp. Sometimes there are several groups of coyotes yippin and yappin at once. My kids had a few chickens and ducks, but I gave them away, because the coyotes were after them on a regular basis. Three nights ago they were so loud and close I was watching out the window, several ran across the field in front of my house after my neighbors barn cat, he made it home ok. Nh fish and game says a large percentage have some dig in them, which lessens their fear of humans. That is why there are so many more sightings in my area, ive seen one on my front porch, and tracks in my yard on a regular basis. Every time I camp across the street, they circle my camp, sometimes for hours. I have had to stop taking my dogs camping in this area, my dogs would fight them, and lose. They are the main reason I carry a gun in the woods.

That's nuts! In CT we tend to have more of an issue with them in the suburbs on the shoreline. For the most part they tend to tear into peoples trash cans but every now and then we'll hear that they got some one's cat or small dog.

The worst problem I've ever seen with coyote's was in Fort Irwin CA at the N.T.C. They would actually go into soldiers shelter halves and steal opened MREs bags. They we common sight at all hours of the day and night there. They really had some balls getting that close to people and grabbing a bite to eat.

We have then where I live. Last year there was a squalor because they were seen taking a small lapdog a woman had on a leash and they took the leash too. This in day light, and with a human present. Pretty bold yotes.

There are 2 main colors here a silver color and a gold color. These run 80 to 100 pounds.

The coyotes around here always hunt in packs, no dog is safe. They are smaller than the ones around lodge poles area, maybe 50 pounds, top. The ones he's talking about must have dog or wolf mixed in them to be so large. A few years ago they killed a full grown cow about two miles from my house. A lot of people around here, with livestock or outdoor pets, have started shooting them on sight. The hunting season for them is pretty wide open, they even hunt them at night most of the year. I dont hunt them, but kill them if they threaten my pets or arent afraid of people.

Eighteen dogs were killed last year north of Reno, NV in daylight while being walked on a leash. I carry a pistol out behind the house and keep my dogs near me at all times. Evan a large feisty dog is no match for a pack of coyotes.

the coyotes out here max out at about 40-50 pounds. they haven't yet developed group hunting tactics, but small dogs and cats are not safe even so. I guess our coyotes are lower on the evolutionary ladder then the rest of the country.

Back in the day, there was a Newfoundland wolf. It didn't last too long after the Europeans showed up. Then about twenty years ago people started seeing tracks. We were told by our government wildlife department that coyotes had crossed the ice from Labrador.

Except these were really big coyotes. Really really big.

About a year ago someone finally did a DNA test on one of these creatures, and it was 90% wolf. For some reason we're still calling them coyotes. Just a little while ago, the scientists let us know that not only are they really big, they tend to be white. Speculation is that one of the few that first crossed to the island may have bred with a Labrador retriever, because a dog was spotted running with a pack. Could be. Didn't small them down any.

Based on what I hear about coyotes, ours seem to act more like wolves. They're extremely secretive. Hardly ever seen. They may be the reason for dropping caribou numbers, but not even the scientists know for sure.

I see their tracks fairly often, but I've never seen the actual animal. These tracks are six inches long. All in a row, like Dwayne says.

But I always interpret what I see as the tracks of a single animal. Could someone more familiar with them tell me, if it were actually a pack, would that be obvious from the tracks? Or do they move so dispersed from one another that a person might see only one set of tracks where there are in fact many animals?

Last week out in the Sonoran Desert the coyote choir was our constant companion. Keep an eye out for wolves in places you would not expect to see them. I saw one in 2011 in Nevada near the Idaho line up by Jarbidge Wilderness Area.

Back in the day, there was a Newfoundland wolf. It didn't last too long after the Europeans showed up. Then about twenty years ago people started seeing tracks. We were told by our government wildlife department that coyotes had crossed the ice from Labrador.

Except these were really big coyotes. Really really big.

About a year ago someone finally did a DNA test on one of these creatures, and it was 90% wolf. For some reason we're still calling them coyotes. Just a little while ago, the scientists let us know that not only are they really big, they tend to be white. Speculation is that one of the few that first crossed to the island may have bred with a Labrador retriever, because a dog was spotted running with a pack. Could be. Didn't small them down any.

Based on what I hear about coyotes, ours seem to act more like wolves. They're extremely secretive. Hardly ever seen. They may be the reason for dropping caribou numbers, but not even the scientists know for sure.

I see their tracks fairly often, but I've never seen the actual animal. These tracks are six inches long. All in a row, like Dwayne says.

But I always interpret what I see as the tracks of a single animal. Could someone more familiar with them tell me, if it were actually a pack, would that be obvious from the tracks? Or do they move so dispersed from one another that a person might see only one set of tracks where there are in fact many animals?

Typical coyote tracks are 2 1/2 inches long like the one in my photo.

Wolves are the size of your hand 5-6 inches, the large paws act as mini

snowshoes so they can stay up on the snow while chasing down prey.

I have only seen coyotes working in pairs and the the tracks

reflected that. Wolf packs move together so you would see tracks

all over the place also walking in each other tracks to conserve

energy. If prey is located they would disperse and try to out flank

the prey or ambush or take turns trying to tire out the prey in a

relay race.

Pack size is a function of food source so one Caribou can support a

pack size of 15 wolves. In Algonquin Park Ontario one deer there

can support a pack of 5-6 Algonquin "hybrid" wolves which are

a cross between timber, red and coyote named the Eastern Grey

Wolf.

Of the 80 pound photos of coyotes taken by hunting in Newfoundland

they sure look like wolves to me but DNA will show the facts. Typical

no matter what size coyotes are they have a pointy nose and larger

pointy ears, the wolf is total the opposite.

In my area coyotes follow the deer trails every night looking for sick

or injured deer and of course rodents a long the way. I saw a coyote once

Two and a half inches? Okay whatever we got, it's not coyotes. I mentioned the "90% wolf" DNA test. Does it make me conspiracy-theorist to think the government is calling them coyotes so as not to freak out the populace? Maybe not a bad idea, considering the illogical wolf phobia that makes people stupidly trigger-happy.

Thank you for the information, Dwayne! Their other main food source here would be moose, and based on what you say, that would make for larger pack size. It's not surprising Nature would send in some predators, the moose and caribou have had nothing to worry about but black bears (not much of a worry) for a long time, and the moose overpopulation has gotten out of control, changing the forest composition. Better predation than disease or environmental damage, so I'm happy to see some wolves move in (hell with it, I'm going to call them that, even if nobody else does).

My assumption of single animal when seeing tracks required interpreting them as the tracks of a wandering, backtracking, circling, meandering single animal, so I think it's in fact more likely that I'm seeing pack tracks. Especially given that they appear where moose or caribou tracks do.

As I say, they're secretive and seldom seen, but I think as a small solo hiker maybe I'll make sure the bear spray is in the pack, just in case.

We have timber wolves here in the Ossipee's too but these are bigger than 80 to 100 pounds and are dark chocolate brown. I have only had the pleasure of seeing 3 and that was all at once, and for about 1/2 mile as i was chasing them in my plow truck on a single lame wide class 6 back road. They had no where to go. One side is cliff up, the other cliff to white brook.

The yotes are mistaken for German Shepard Dogs by tourists, large GSD's

Wolves have a more upright eye ridge and their faces are not so dainty and streamlined as yotes.

We have big cats like 9 feet long from tip of nose to tip of tail. These are tan with a black tip on the tail. I am not even going to say a name... My first encounter was a cat track bigger in diameter than my coffee cup in fresh snow, and it was a fresh track and i was deer hunting and just went home.

If i had been forced to shoot that i would still be in jail..

My next encounter was likely the same cat, but this time an elderly friend was playing a prank and also had a need.

He called on the phone to request i come to his place and get a cat off his enclosed porch, and get it out of the trash too boot. I thought he meant a house cat gone ferrell.

I drove over there, hopped out of my truck and stepped into that porch like i owned the place and I stepped right back out too, and got back in my truck.

That cat wasn't happy and the old man sat in his window with the curtains pulled back laughing at me. I still hope God is getting even with old man Burnie for that prank..

Coyotes seperate to look for food. I see single coyotes on the ridges around my house once in a while. They seem to be looking around, they travel solo, then when they find posdible food, they vocalize to call in help to catch the food. The sounds they make differ when they are chasing something or when they are calling for backup. Im in kinda a valley, I hear them chasing food up and down the valley on a regular basis. Their look has changed around here due to so much dog being bred into them. They have a pretty wide range of coloring now, but still have somewhat of the traditional coyote face. New hampshire fish and game says there are no big cats in nh, bs, ive seen tracks, my mother saw one in the road and something with no visible claws walked all around a deer carcass, then bit thru the femurs to get to the marrow inside. Pretty strong jaws for a extra large housecat or bobcat, which is what f&g tried to call the animal by lookin at the tracks. They are in denial about big cats in this state.

Yea they travel in pairs, but I generally see them one at a time too. I have found that they travel out of sight from each other but parallel, maybe a hundred yards apart. The land across the street from me is full of them, several large packs, f&g says there are 100 coyotes in this general area. I dont know where he got that figure, but I have heard a couple of big packs goin diff directions at the same time. If I take someone that hasnt been around them they are usually freaked out by them circlin all night.

the coyotes here have a range they cover. they don't stay in the same area for long. they hunt out all the rabbits and an occasional dog or cat and move on. they come around about every three months. they are around now - just last night I heard them vocalizing.

They travel any way they want, singles, pairs, family groups with pups and multiple family groups. I have seen 4 adults together in daytime hunting. At night it is common to hear 2 parents and a litter of pups hunting together. Sometimes there is a coyote jamboree and we can hear more 20 at a time.

Yea they travel in pairs, but I generally see them one at a time too. I have found that they travel out of sight from each other but parallel, maybe a hundred yards apart. The land across the street from me is full of them, several large packs, f&g says there are 100 coyotes in this general area. I dont know where he got that figure, but I have heard a couple of big packs goin diff directions at the same time. If I take someone that hasnt been around them they are usually freaked out by them circlin all night.

F&G has no idea how many yotes there is...... I bet there is far more than that figure.

I recall back in the early 80's F&G called these coydogs and claimed there were rare as hens teeth.

F&G still claims there is no puma here and or timber wolves but i beg to differ, sine i have seen a 9 foot long cat and 3 chocolate brown timber wolves at one time from less than 15 feet, or just ahead of the blade of my snow plow.

I consider this not very unusual..... This is good habitat for them.

What i considered unusual was the fact that when my son was small over to muddy river on Sebago Lake in Maine I killed a cotton mouth, in the act of being very aggressive with my then toddler son.

I beat that snake to death with a good fly rod which was no good after i was done. I put that snake in a glass jelly jar too and proved what it was to F&G. They said it must have hitched a ride from the deep south, I'll buy that.

Muddy river is like Ice land, it a very nice white sand beach with hard granite rocks about. I have no idea how that place got a name like that.

There is a lot of misinformation here, I think, mostly from the interbreeding between coyotes, wolves and dogs.

You will not see a 100 lb coyote. Coyotes are normally 15 to 40 pounds. The largest ever recorded being 75 pounds and that was of the 'northern' type that traditionally grow larger than their southern counterparts. They are certainly no where near the size of a German shepherd without some kind of cross breeding. They can however take one down if they are in a pack!

It is far more likely that you saw a red wolf, or some cross between the two. They can grow to around 90 lbs but are still much smaller than the grey wolf, which is what most people picture when they think of a wolf.

Coyotes are the most adaptive, opportunistic hunters. We have them here, in the middle of Toronto. They live in ravines and parks and have stolen small dogs from backyards and even stalked kids. A couple years ago a man was hiking with two black labs and the coyotes were able to ambush them and drag one dog into the forest.

One more thing- a neat way to tell if it's a coyote track is if you are able to draw an X through the paw pad prints. You can see it quite clearly, and the composition of this photo actually helps highlight it a little.

I would say they average 35 lbs around here, but a taller skinny 35 lbs. With their winter coat on it would be easy to think they weighed a lot more than they do, maybe twice as much. I have a business aquantince that has a coy dog pet he rescued when its parents were killed, the mother was a coyote and dad was a lab mix. The pup looks like a skinny pale yellow labe with a pointy nose, her ears lay down and she has webbed feet. Once some dog is introduced the traditional look can go out the window. This coy dog weighs 65 lbs, about like a female lab. I think the issue with this thread isnt missinformation, but a widely diluted gene pool in coyotes in general these days. It was mentioned that a pack of 20 was heard, with the lay of the land where I am, I hear the whole chase. They start with a particular yip, when they start the chase and it turns into what sounds like a bender at a loony bin. Sometimes I hear several of these chase scenarios in one night. I think I can tell if they get their meal or not, they make totally diff sounds if they get fed or not. Im not a fan of coyotes, I would much rather see wolves.

Great tip about the tracks, jake. I wonder if that changes if dogs or wolves a crossbred with coyotes. Im gonna be checkin tracks in my area. If I find x tracks mixed with non x tracks, I would guess that it changes. Im gonna check that webfooted coy dog I know too. She six I think, been a pet since she was drinkin milk, ive know her the whole time, but I dont trust her around my kids.

I think they would still be coy dogs. Im not sure, but any coyote blood should classify them as coy dogs. She is fairly well behaved but always has that scary look in her eyes, plus sketchy body language, like she is just putting up with us foolish humans.

The yotes here are as big as a German Shepard dog.... I have a friend who baits them and shoots them I suppose in a matter of time i could get some pictures. Their heads are more streamlined than wolves.

Here they travel in pairs in each others tracks in snow.

Of course I can't exactly weigh them live. but I know what GSD are and I know what Great Danes are... I can sort of compare.

Living here is a mutt mix female dog part rottie and part who knows what. I would say was a mid size dog smaller than a GSD but I have taken this dog to the vets myself and this dog weighs just under 90 pounds. The vet wants the old girl to loose weight..... (Not my dog but I spend more time with her than the owner does)

If these wild creatures are not wolves and these are not IMO, and they are not yotes either, then I don't know what they are, but they will eat other peoples dogs being walked on a leash.

South of Pasadena CA - very much NOT rural high density human population. There have been occasional sightings of coyotes. Driving one early morning before sunrise, one trotted down the street towards me and right past me without a glance my way or a waver. Certainly looked to me that it had a mission in mind.

I've seen one in our yard 'shopping'. Very efficient single pass at a trot. In the side yard near the fence line; checked each corner in the back (large yard); then once around the garage; and out the other side yard into the next yard. Then so on down the street.

All American Critter. 100 yards a night. No slow feral cats left in the neighborhood. You know when coyotes abound. The birds return to nest.

Used to have a red fox spend a lot of time in a low crotch of a very large tree in our yard. Big (BIG) owl would make a fast pass overhead like a ghost. Didn't really see it so much as feel it go by and catch just a movement out of the side of your eye. Opossum and skunks have adapted to the neighborhood a lot better than their human counter parts have to them.

Bats are gone now for over a decade. Too bad. The kids used to toss a tennis ball in the air and the bats would all dive towards it.

Squirrel populations fluctuate based on their luck and prowess.

Large population of crows now recovered from a significant thinning from a virus. Another reason there are so few song birds currently. There is a very LARGE rookery about 6 miles away that accumulates most of the crows every night near sundown. Seems such a large expenditure of energy to make the round trip of perhaps up to 20 miles. It always is a good trivia question, when at a late afternoon party, and point out all the crows heading in the same direction - for 30 minutes and more. We've intruded on the rookery - once. One of those things you need to do only once. Or take somebody's word for it.

Way too far from the mountains whose foot hills are in northern Pasadena to have bear and deer in the yard (and pool) as do friends nearer the mountains.

Signs to warn of mountain lions on some of the local trails. More of a legal cover than actual danger.

that scary look is the wild coyote in her. she's doing what she needs to survive, just like a coyote. one day she'll probably take off, back to the wild. did you get a chance to check out those tracks?

The first time I went to my Dad's cow-calf operation after he bought into it with a partner, there was a dead coyote hanging on a wire fence. Chuck, one of the career cowboys that came with the ranch lookd at me and asked "Do you want any dog tacos for lunch?"

Hanging a dead predator is an old practice. Lots of people with small livestock hang the dead guys on the fence or on a tree at the woodline, supposed to deter his buddies. I have seen any clear tracks, we are kinda goin into mud season, but we could go back in the freezer. I cant find any tracks clear enough to tell about the x, if I find some ill post pics.

I finally found some clear coyote, or coy dog tracks today. We have had such weird weather, thete hasnt been any easy to see tracks. We went from mud season to a foot of snow, now headin back to mud, but its been cold at night. So I was seein blurry, deep tracks or scratches on the ice. I usually hike early or late in the day, but decided to go midday today. I didnt see the animal, but it was def solo ( I walked a spiral around the tracks and saw nothing else) and had very distinctive x's in the track. The pics are in my profile for now, I cant put them in a thread from my phone. Ill post them here soon.

No good tracks here either of anything.... today we went back to find Big Rock Cave and made it. If you recall I made a error on a map and my gps also got it wrong and the real cave is 6/10ths from where the gps says it is.

We saw mice tracks and ruffed grouse..... That's it, until on the way as I had to break trail going in, but found human tracks (2 sets) to the height of land going out and then 2 sets more of skiers.

When I used to work on the Peabody coal mine at Black Mesa on the Navajo Res it was interesting to hear the locals talk about coyote the trickster. Owls really shook them up.

Northwest natives have only 2 clans, Raven and Eagle. Ravens are among my favorite birds. In the Spring they sometimes show up in groups during migration. Last spring I was sitting in the hot tub one morning on a windy day. A group of 5 ravens was flying over head so I called to them. They came down and hovered over my head in the wind for more than 60 seconds. That was Big Medicine and a great way to start any day.